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Opa! On the ouzo and tequila trail in downtown Cape Town

by Kim Maxwell
Ouzeri exterior

Diners looking for culinary adventuring will find it in downtown Cape Town. In six weeks, two cosmopolitan restaurants have opened, celebrating Cypriot-Greek dishes and a menu from contemporary coastal Mexico.

Ouzeri puts a modern stamp on Cypriot-Greek dishes, borrowing its name from the taverns of Cyprus and Greece, while the cheerful pumpkin exterior walls of Hacienda take direction from a manor house, serving premium tequilas to partner a contemporary coastal Mexican menu. Here’s our take on these two venues which have already become destination eateries.

OUZERI

Owner and executive chef Nic Charalambous tested the market with a series of Cape Town pop-ups before opening Ouzeri, a restaurant in Wale St, adjacent to Honest Chocolate.

The Cypriot South African may only be 31, but he’s spent many overseas holidays being happily fed by his grandmother in Cypress. That’s why Ouzeri’s monthly changing menu takes diners on a food journey through Cypress and Greek regions, eating from selected small plates. At dinner, dishes such as lamb ribs with skordalia, grilled lahanadolmades (nutty, herby rice in grilled cabbage, in a fennel broth), or beef shin youvetsi can be added. Ideally shared.

“What I love about the ouzeris I experienced in Cypress is that they’re very much local hangouts. The place where you’d go after work for a drink and a bite, and to meet friends and family. Everyone shares meze, and drinks wine or ouzo,” Charalambous explained.

So, is he aiming for an island taverna in the Cape Town CBD? “It’s a little bit of all of that,” he laughs. “It’s about championing tradition and culture, and not moving too far away, with innovative food from various regions of Greece and putting Greek Cypriot food at the forefront.” At lunchtime, tables fill fast.

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Ouzeri - Restaurant - Interior

The interior of Ouzeri was created by Master Studio.

Decor by Master Studio merges sophisticated with nostalgic in stark white plaster, arched wall niches, textured tapestry cushions and old-style wooden chairs, reminiscent of an old Cypriot café. “The most important thing was to follow the same design line as the food: a fine balance between traditional and contemporary, nostalgic and sophisticated, and bringing in the regions of Greece,” says Charalambous.

The Ouzeri meze menu is a “journey through Cyprus and the Greek Islands” and shows off how Greek-Cypriot food is a mix of cultures: the Middle Eastern side from Syria and Lebanon’s immigrants, neighbouring Turkey’s influences, and more Greek traditional elements.

Charalambous says he's “presenting Cypriot and Greek food differently and adding my own take” with flavour and fresh ingredients at the forefront, while leaning on his chef training for techniques. He opened Avli by Tashas restaurant for the Tashas group in Dubai, in 2019.

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Ouzeri - Braised lentils with squid

Find braised lentils with squid & green sauce at Ouzeri.

I loved this food – the chef has a way of making simple, tasty dippy things sparkle, by using superior ingredients and herbs. Some you shouldn't miss: a slab of his sister-in-law's oil and lemon-drenched halloumi, chickpea fries with proper taramasalata (none of that pink dye), or roasted beets with toasted almonds on a smear of yoghurt. Don’t ignore the lamb manti which are tasty pinched parcels of lamb goodness, drizzled in tomato butter with spicy bits of Cypriot soujouk sausage.

A moist Cypriot bread was an adaptation of Charalambous’s grandmother’s recipe: eliopita combines dried, salted black olives, spring onion and mint. In drinks, there is ouzo, of course – perfect with tarama and chickpea fries. Or a list of niche independent wine producers’ labels. Jasper Wickens of Swerwer Wines made the house white and red, served Greek-style by the carafe.

The warm, baked yoghurt "cake" was light as a souffle. But with that comforting taste of winter, served with homemade yoghurt, sour cherries and pistachios. Perfect for settling in, with typically muddy Greek coffee and Greek blues on the sound system.

Ouzeri, 58 Wale St, is open Wed to Sat for lunch, Tues to Sat for Dinner. Tel: 061 533 9071. www.ouzeri.co.za

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Hacienda

Hacienda has become the hot new place to visit in Bree St.

HACIENDA

“In South Africa, everybody seemed to be doing TexMex chilli poppers and cheesy nachos,” says Hacienda co-owner Paolo Carrara. “We wanted to do contemporary modern Mexican cuisine. It’s very popular in Mexico City, London and New York.”

“The word ‘coastal’ is about our focus on the Mexican Baja region in south California. It’s near the sea: so there’s seafood, lobster, fish, octopus, calamari, oysters. They also use a lot of vegetables and open-fire charcoal grills. Charred corn, meat and seafood are cooked on that open-fire charcoal grill.” At Hacienda, you’ll find Guajillo-dusted corn or charred octopus, both fresh off the charcoal grill.

And would it be Mexican without tacos? “We use masa harina flour from corn, for all our tortillas and tacos. Warm, soft tortillas are used as tacos, all homemade,” explains executive chef Justin Barker. On arrival, guests are offered totopos, crispy deep-fried tortilla chips, infused with black al carbon (coal-smoked), red achiote (achiote spice) and green tierra verde (coriander and spinach) respectively. A trio of colourful Mother Sauces are served alongside the totopos: Pasta de Frijol (spiced black bean), salsa verde (green tomatillo) and Adobo Oaxaca (red adobo rub).

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Hacienda cocktail

Mexican-inspired cocktails are the rage at Hacienda.

Starters include guacamole, quesadilla and seabass ceviche. “For vegetarians, we offer black bean ‘pasta de frijol negro’ – it’s like refried beans, but instead it’s a spiced black bean sauce,” adds Barker. It’s paired with mushroom sofrito.

Don’t miss the mole hacienda, served with warm tortillas. “Our mole is dark, black bean-based and made from two different meat stocks (chicken and beef), combined with five Mexican chillies, then reduced down with aromatics ... we serve a fermented veg mole in the centre, with the meat mole around it. And our three tortillas.” For those unfamiliar, this complex mole sauce was 140-days-old when I visited, boosted by the addition of about 30 ingredients. “Alive” much like a sourdough starter, mole flavours change as they age.

Carrara and partners also own Burger & Lobster diagonally opposite, and Iron Steak and Bar further along Bree St. The Hacienda space was previously leased by Chefs Warehouse Winebar & Pinchos. Arched mirrors in the bar lead to a masculine interior with leather, stone and wood, accented by brightly coloured bowls. “A hacienda is a manor house on the plantation,” says Carrara, and you feel that way taking a stool at the counter.

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Hacienda - Baja lobster

Baja Lobster, crispy tempura lobster with fennel salsa, pomegrante aioli and dried grapefruit on coal-smoked totopos from the Hacienda menu.

Customers have taken to the mole, while word has spread among tequila enthusiasts about the extensive Patron range on offer – premium styles that are slowly sipped, not knocked back. “There’s a big drive for high-end tequila globally,” says Carrara. Some limited-edition or aged options, exclusive to Hacienda, cost R600 to R3 000 per shot.

“We have margaritas, too, but do them properly – a double shot of Patron Silver tequila, plus Cointreau and fresh lime, in a glass rimmed with tajim spiced salt.” (Tip: they’re half price during 4 – 6pm happy hour.)

Hacienda, 92 Bree St, is open Mon to Sun for lunch and dinner. Tel: 021 422 0128. www.hacienda.co.za

IMAGES: Jan Ras photographer (OUZERI), Jacques Mollentze (Hacienda), Kim Maxwell

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